skinny dipping
by isitreallyevenpossible
Summary: It didn't matter that they were cold. It didn't matter that they were both naked. It didn't matter that neither of them could make sense of what the others presence did to them. All that mattered was the sun on their faces and the water surrounding them.


_**A/N: **__** Yet another Lily Lysander one shot but I'm rediscovering my old OTP and remembering how sweet they are. So enjoy, there's probably going to be some more drabbles and one shots coming along soon.**_

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It was a hot summer's day: scorching. The sun beat down on the occupants of England forcing them to flee to any shady or watery location to beat the heat.

This was easy for Lily Potter when her best friend Lysander was just a floo call away. And had a lovely shady lake to relax by. This was how she found herself on the edge of the Scamander property with her feat dangling into the cool water.

Lysander sat just behind her a sketchbook open in his lap and a small pencil balanced on his ear. They let the heat permeate them for a few seconds and the only sound was the gentle lapping of the lake against the stony edge.

"Let's go for a swim." Lily said suddenly, just like how she did most things.

"You're kidding me?" The voice of Lysander's twin Lorcan came from his shelter under a particular tree. "We don't have swimming costumes."

"We could transform some." Lysander offered lazily, peering through his sunglasses at the red head sat just ahead of him.

"Nah, let's go naked." Lily replied, a little glint in her eye. "Coming Ly?"

She didn't even have to look around to see that he was already sighing and setting his stuff down to take his top and shades off. Because let's face it he knew Lily far too well. They'd been friends since they were born and now both at 17 they were just as close as they'd always been. Just friends of course. But Lily was unpredictable to everyone and when she set her mind on something she was off already leaving everyone in her wake. Everyone but Lysander, he was the only one who could ever keep up.

"This seems to be my cue to leave." Lorcan chuckled, "No offence but I've seen enough of Lysander to last a life time."

Lysander scoffed as he tossed his t-shirt aside.

"It's true we used to share a room." Lorcan quipped, already beginning to meander back to the house. "And a womb."

And with one last joke Lorcan was gone leaving Lily and Lysander alone on the side of the lake. Already Lily's sundress was abandoned by her feet and she was working on releasing her wild hair from its plait until it formed a halo around her head. Lysander was working on the buttons on his jeans but by then Lily was already slipping out of her underwear and diving head first into the water. Just like she dove into everything.

Lysander just caught a glimpse of the side of Lily's breast before she hit the water. He tried to tell himself they were just friends, just friends over and over in the hopes that the strange feeling in his chest would disappear. He focused on pulling his pants and boxers off.

Lily's head emerged from beneath the lake spluttering and laughing like a little child.

"Come on in the waters fine." She drawled in a fake southern accent, her eyes sparkling with the fact that she was complete and utterly alive. She gave a short little wink that made her freckled nose crinkle. Lily always made you feel as if you were in on some kind of joke even if you weren't sure what kind of joke it was.

Lysander winked back and then suddenly he was naked and running in right after her: the feeling in his chest and slightly lower down shrivelling when he hit the cold water.

"For Merlin's sake fucking hell." He cursed as soon as he was able.

Lily just laughed.

And that was the thing about being friends with Lily Luna Potter. There was never any doubt when you were with her that you were anything less than alive. There was no chance to feel numb or dead because you were too busy feeling. Maybe that was why Lily and Lysander got along so well: they were always doing anything they could to remind themselves that they were alive.

"Don't be a baby." Lily laughed, lifting her face to the heavens and feeling each ray of sun on her face.

He followed her lead and he knew that this had been a good idea. It didn't matter that they were cold. It didn't matter that they were both naked despite being just friends. It didn't matter that neither of them could make sense of what the others presence did to them. All that mattered was the sun on their faces and the water surrounding them.

And suddenly Lily shouted. Screamed. A reckless abandonment of anything that had every held them back she just laughed and screamed and laughed some more.

A bird fluttered away from a nearby tree as Lysander joined it too.

"Shit I love this." Lily said, her voice only slightly hoarse.

"Me too." Lysander agreed, stopping to take a breath.

"C'mere Sander." Lily said suddenly turning round and narrowing her eyes slightly. She was using a nickname that he only permitted her to use in certain circumstances like when they were drunk or having their random three am sleepy heart to hearts. In fact as soon as she said it the last time it had been used came rushing back to him. They'd been at a summer party at one of their friends house. Drunk and high and happy. Playing party games in the main room doing shots and kissing when the game required. As kissing didn't matter when there were no feelings involved (of course). And as they'd pulled away he had heard it fainter than a whisper just grazing his ear.

"Sander."

He gulped as he heard it again and saw the expression on her face. Suddenly be came far too hyper aware of their nakedness. Still he couldn't resist swimming a bit closer.

"Sander." She whispered breathily, so quiet he nearly couldn't hear he despite his proximity and the fact that every second he was drifting closer towards her.

Then without warning he felt her strong hands on her head as she dunked him under the water. And like that the spell was broken and he left his feelings in the depths of the lake pretending they didn't exist as he resurfaced and splashed her back.

They crawled back onto the banks after not too long. Slipping on their underwear and just letting themselves dry underneath the sun. They held hands just like they always did, it wasn't romantic to them obviously, just basking in the heat of adventure and friendship.

Lysander got the biggest urge to draw her then exactly as she was in that moment. So ecstatically happy with her hair fanned around her and the most peaceful expression on her face. Eyes shut lips parted breathing in the world around her. He knew he wouldn't though because of all the reasons he always refused to paint or draw her. He knew that he would never be able to capture her in lines on a page or brushstrokes on a canvas. There was too much about her that couldn't be contained in bits of charcoal or parchment and anything else would've just felt like cheating. After all artists work always turns out to be more of a reflection of themselves rather than the subject their drawing.

She had never got why he wouldn't refuse to draw anyone else. He had portrait after portrait of his family and her cousins and friends filling his sketch books. But he couldn't explain it to her. Couldn't explain that there was more to her than even he knew. That she wasn't just his portrait or dream girl or best friend. That he couldn't do her justice.

Little did he know she felt the same for him. Her black book she carried everywhere lay next to her was filled with attempts at poetry that always ended up showing more about her than it did about them. She wrote about that day later too: sat on the roof of her house with her heart and head full of too much.

_Slipping beneath the lake_

_I'm falling but in the best way possible_

_Because soon I emerge_

_Like a child_

_Dripping winking_

_Happy_

_And suddenly I wish it is moonlight_

_Because you see far too much of me_

_My soul not my body is bared too often to you_

_It is difficult when you know me so well_

_Yet still I wish for the shadows night brings_

_To hide myself behind_

_Hot hot_

_And yet so cold_

_Tips of my fingers collide with yours_

_The sun on my face_

_I have never been more alive than this_

_We stop and sit_

_And lie with each other_

_Hands clasped as if in prayer_

_Praying to the gods that we will always be this young_

_This reckless_

_This happy_

_This alive._

_The sun ends_

_This spell is gone_

_We are no more alive than before_

_So I search for that next moment_

_Knowing you're only a step behind_

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**_A/N:_ ****Here's hoping you enjoyed it. If you did check out my other Lily/Lysander one shot Wanderlust as well as my James Potter/Lily Evans fanfics. There should be some more Lily Lysander coming soon because I can't stop having inspiration for that couple I don't even know. **

**Clara **


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